Lord are with them that fear Him, fays Holy David. I have more Understanding than all my Teachers, fays the fame Royal Prophet: but whence came all this divine Knowledge? It immediately follows, Because I keep thy Precepts. But our Bleffed Saviour's Promife is of all moft exprefs and encouraging, John 7.17. If any Man will do His Will, he Jhall know of the Doctrine if it be of God.

I fhall conclude this Head with an Anfwer full of Wisdom and Piety, which a great and pious Cardinal of our own Nation gave, when being confulted, What Method of Study was likely to be most effe&tual towards the understanding of the difficult and obfcure Paffages in Saint Paul's Epiftles, he gave this Advice: That the way likelieft to fucceed was to begin at the End of thofe Epiftles, to ftudy diligently and practife faithfully thofe Rules, which he there with fo much Plainnefs lays down relating to Chriftian Manners, a Holy Life, and Godly Conversation, and then, and not till then, to proceed to the former Part, where the doctrinal Points and Matters of Faith are more nicely and fubtilly and exactly handled. Without doubt a Mind exercis'd in the plain Precepts, will of all other moft eafily difcover the more obfcure Truths of Religion. Whereas on the contrary, They who neglect or defpife the clear intelligible

telligible Commands, whatever Study or Application elfe they may use, are deservedly fhut out, as Unholy and Profane, from the more hidden Venerable and Holy Mysteries of the Gospel.

weal

The laft Requifite, which I fhall mention, is conftant and earneft Prayer to Almighty God, that That Spirit of Truth, which firft did dictate to thofe that writ, may be present also and affiftant to us that read the Holy Scripture. This of all the other Qualifications is moft neceffary, for without this all the reft, and all our other Study and Endeavours will prove fruitless and vain. Prayer indeed without Study is Prefumption, but Study without Prayer is Atheism. We find Holy David, who had made the Word of God his Exercife Day and Night, who understood more of it than his Teachers, or the Aged; yet continuing ftill in Prayer, and in fundry Places with much Importunity and fervour fuing to God for further Light and Inftruction in it. Let us therefore, in Imitation of that Man after God's own Heart, whatever Knowledge we have, afcribe all of it to the Gift of the Holy Ghoft, and never cease to pray for greater Improvements and further Degrees of it; leaft even that should be taken from us, which we have. Let us never take the

Bible

Bible in our hands, never approach to confult thofe Oracles, without fome of these devout Ejaculations of the Holy Pfalmift in our Mouths or in our Hearts: Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Teach me Thy Statutes, Open Thou mine Eyes, that I may see the wondrous Things of thy Law. Teach me, O Lord, the Way of thy Statutes; give me Understanding, and Ifball keep thy Law. Teach me Good Judgment and Knowledge, for I have believ'd thy Commandments. Deal with thy Servant according to thy Mercy, and teach me thy Statutes. And for the present let us conclude with that excellent Prayer of our Church:

Bleffed Lord, who haft caufed all Holy Scripture to be written for our Learning, Grant that We may in fuch wife hear them, read, mark,learn, and inwardly digeft them, that by Patience and Comfort of thy Holy Word we may embrace and ever bold faft the bleffed Hope of everlasting Life, which thou haft given us in our Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen.

SERMON VIII.

SERMON VIII.

Prov. XII. 21.

There shall no Evil happen to the Just.

T Had not been agreeable to the Infinite Goodness of God, when he had Created Man to be Immortal, and made him the Image of his own Eternity, as the Book of Wisdom fpeaks (Wifd. 2. 23.) if he had not made him alfo perfectly Happy, and the Image of his own Blifs and Felicity. He plac'd him therefore in Parădife, a Garden of Delight, refembling, as far as Earth was capable, his own Ever Bleft Habitation in the Heavens. No evil could happen to Fuft Adam, for Evil yet had no being. The whole Creation made

for